Watching
by HopelessRomantic216
Summary: Oneshot Edward lets her go, and watches her live her life through the years. Based on what he sees and feels as she goes through the milestones of her life...without him.


Hey! First of all, I have to say that 'Twlight' was an incredible book. Thanks to Bridge who recommended itto me!

I love Edward, so 'sorrys' in advance for this story...its very sad.

This is very incharacteristic of my writing...I dont even know why I wrote it actually, but I do hope you enjoy it anyway.

I do not own any of the characters pretaining to 'Twilight'. I do, however, own this story.

Thanks!- Lauren

* * *

It had only taken that first glance to realize he was in love with her. That one look, and he was hers forever.  
He never fooled himself into thinking she could actually be his…but he did pretend for a while. But he'd pretended to long…and he realized that now, as he walked away.  
After two wonderful years of playing make believe, he had to let her go. He wouldn't condemn her to a world of never-ending darkness, a world of endless shadows. He felt a knife twist in his dead heart, as he said the fateful words, watching tears dull her eyes. Felt his world end as she stared, eyes now emotionless, at his still form. To her, it seemed as if he didn't care, that he was leaving her for someone like him…what she didn't see was the way his soul withered and died inside. As he felt the tears start to come, he turned and walked away so she wouldn't see. She could never know, never know that the day he left her standing there on the empty street, was the day he truly died.

* * *

He never stopped watching her though, making sure she was safe, unharmed. He stood outside her window as she slept, making sure every time her chest went down it came up again. Listened to her unconscious murmuring…hearing her speak his name. One night he almost surrendered, almost ran into her room to wake her…show her he had never left. But he couldn't, his happiness wasn't worth her heartbreak when she could no longer walk in the sun.  
So he stayed in the shadows, always in the shadows, watching her live her life without him.

* * *

He was there the day she met him. The day she struggled with her heavy load and another offered assistance. The day he saw the light he had stolen when he left, returned. The day his heart broke a little more, as she gladly accepted his help with a little smile. 

The day he knew he had been replaced.

* * *

He watched as they shared their first kiss, jealousy, heartache, and hatred battling for control over his body. 

Tears began to pour from his eyes…heartache had won.

* * *

He had seen when she snuggled closer to him, in her bed. He knew he should have turned away, but he couldn't. In his broken mind, he imagined it was him beside her instead of another. He was there, holding her as she slept. Then morning came, and as he still slept with her in his imagination…he saw her wake with another.

* * *

He watched as sheslowly walked down the isle, his lady in white. Just for a moment he pretended he was waiting for her at the end of her walk. Then she reached her destination and grabbed the outstretched hand…and his moment was shattered. 

They say an eye is never left dry at a wedding…but his was surely the only one wet from pain, anguish, and suffering.

* * *

He felt his body tear apart when he saw the child laid in her waiting hands…so small. Fingers aching to stroke the small bundles face, to feel its weight in his arms. 

He watched as the three of them held each other, a picture of perfection. They glowed with joy, affecting everyone in there presence.

They would never see the one whose body convulsed with self loathing, agony, and despair.

* * *

He watched her, watch them grow. The older was a model of his father…the younger copy of her. A self portrait of the one who made up his world. He witnessed every smile to ever heart aching sob, wishing he was there with her. At time he still considered making her his, taking her away from it all…but the dreams were dismissed as soon as they came. 

They could never be more than what they were; dreams.

* * *

He smiled the day she found the first white hair…but it faded when he saw himself in her eyes. Even though he had never been able to read her mind, her thoughts were plain as day on her face… 'why'? 

He had spent the rest of his night reminding himself he'd done the right thing.

* * *

After everyone else was gone, watching her sleep has he'd done for the past 64 years. Even though the doctors claimed that, at eighty one, she was dying a natural death…it didn't calm him. He could have prevented all of this, this whole situation. He had to constantly remind himself, as usual, that he'd made the right choice.

* * *

And now he stood in the shadows as they turned off the machine and left the room. The doctors said she was in a coma, but he knew better. She simply knew it was time, as he did, and deceived them. A small smile came to his face as he thought of his beautiful one laying on the bed. Slowly he made his way over to her, to say goodbye. 

"I knew you where here," she said in a small voice…it was music to his ears.

"You could never fool me," he replied. He hesitated before, for the first time in 64 years, reached to touch her angelic face. It was a smooth and he remembered.

"You where always there, weren't you?" she asked, opening her eyes to stare at him. He choked back a gasp as he looked into her eyes…those beautiful orbs had never changed.

"Always," he answered, brushing some fallen hair behind her ear. All his agony was forgotten as he sat there speaking to her, touching her. "I was always watching you"

He watched her face changed from blissful to thoughtful before she spoke again.

"I always loved you"

For once in his life, he was speechless. She took this as a sign to continue.

"It was always you. I loved my husband, very much…but it was always you. Always you I dreamt of, always you. You were the one who I wanted to greet at the door at night, your body that I wanted to sleep next to. Always you"

She put a finger to his lips as he began to protest, and shoke her head. "I lived for you, lived the life you wanted for me. You thought I didn't know that you walked away with tears streaming down your face, all those years ago, but I did." she smiled to herself before slipping a hand to his face.

Slowly, she brought his head down to hers, and with a grace only an angel could possess, sealed her end with a kiss to his lips. "I love you, Edward. I love you forever, for always, and for eternity"

"I love you, my Bella" he answered, watching as the creases from her face disappeared and she slowly left this world.

He bent down to hold her close, sobs spilling out from his heart and onto her limp form.

He slowly stood as the sun began to come over the horizon, stroking her face. He pressed a chaste kiss to her cold forehead and disappeared.

* * *

He still stood there, after everyone else had gone. His mind flashed back to earlier that day, when they had lowered her body to the ground. He laughed to himself, as if seven feet of dirt could keep him from her. He knelt, brushing his hands across the cold, hard stone…tracing the letters of her name. 

"I'll meet you in heaven somehow, Bella… because god knows that's where you are now."


End file.
